Floral piece foundation



July 29, 1969 M. SHUPE ET AL FLORAL PIECE FOUNDATION Filed Nov. 5, 1966 IN VI N '1 UR. MARVIN SHUPE HY ROBERT W. Bouas 6W d T TOR NE Y5 United States Patent Office 3,457,673 Patented July 29, 1969 3,457,673 FLORAL PIECE FOUNDATION Marvin Shupe and Robert W. Boles, both of PD. Box 52, Hathaway Pines, Calif. 95233 Filed Nov. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 592,784 Int. Cl. A47g 7/02 US. Cl. 47-41.12 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention generally relates to the manufacture of foundations or supports for floral arrangements, and constitutes an improvement over the floral piece foundations of the type disclosed in US. Patents 2,699,012 and 3,- 047,981.

In both of the aforesaid patents, a floral foundation or base structure was disclosed which included a base plate, a mass of stufiing material supported on the plate and into which the stems of a flower could be inserted, such plate and material being generally enclosed Within a wrapper formed of paper or other perforable material, and a mesh work of light wire or cordage securing the paper around the plate and stufling material. This prior type of foundation has acquired a substantial degree of success in the market place, since it is relatively simple and inexpensive to produce and properly supports the flower stems in their proper position in which they were inserted.

Notwithstanding the commercial success of the aforementioned type of foundations, certain problems have been encountered, which the present invention is intended to overcome.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a floral piece foundation in which a mass of stuffing material is supported on a base plate and maintained in a wrapper of perforable material, with a mesh work of cordage wrapped around the wrapper, and in which means are provided for maintaining the cordage or wire mesh work from shifting laterally or otherwise Slipping from its predetermined position relative to the base plate, and thereby destroying the value of the product.

A further object of the invention is to provide a foundation of the character described in which a base plate on which the unit is supported is arranged for more ready grasping and handling by the person assembling the unit or by the florist in making his floral arrangement.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the floral piece foundation of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the base plate.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially in the plane indicated by lines 3-3 of FIGURE 1, and on an enlarged scale.

As hereinabove discussed, the floral piece foundation of the present invention generally conforms to that shown in the previously discussed patents, and in broad terms may be said to consist of a base plate 6, a perforable wrapper 7, and a body or stuffing 8 of material which will support a flower stern inserted through the wrapper 7. There is additionally provided a mesh work 9 of wire or cordage for maintaining the wrapper, base plate and stuffing together in a unitary condition, and likewise to provide a generally regular pattern or gauging guide for facilitating the insertion of flower stems in some symmetrical or regular arrangement. Insofar as the stutfing material 8 is concerned, such body may simply comprise pine needles 10 as discussed in Patent 2,699,012, or may likewise include a wetpack material such as vermiculite particles 12 as more fully discussed in Patent 3,047,981. Since the particular material from which the body 8 is constituted forms no independent part of the present invention, no further consideration need be given.

The details of the base plate 6 will be later discussed in more detail, but at this time it might be mentioned that such plate may be formed of cardboard or the like and defines the perimeter of the support. As here indicated, the plate is of generally rectangular configuration suitable for providing a so-called pillow floral base design.

The material in the body 8 is maintained together by means of the perforable wrapper 7 formed of paper or the like, and which completely surrounds the top and sides of the body material, as well as the bottom portions thereof. Such wrapper may thus include a top and side portion 14 and a bottom portion 16 which underlies the material 8 and overlies the base 6.

In order to maintain the wrapper 7 and its enclosed body or stufiing material 8 in proper overlying position on upper surface 17 of the plate 6, the cordage or wire 9 is utilized, and the same is shown as encompassing the wrapper and its contents as well as encircling the base 6 so as to maintain the parts together. The cordage is disclosed in a regular pattern defining generally rectangular symmetrical openings which assist the florist in a symmetrical disposition and insertion of the flower stems into the pack.

As an important feature of the present invention, means are provided so as to prevent the cordage or wire from shifting or slipping along the base plate 6. Such means comprise the provision of a serrated edge 18 along the perimeter of the base plate, such serrations being adapted to receive the cordage wrapped therealong and prevent any lateral displacement of such cordage along the length or width of the base plate. Additionally, such serrations enable the florist to more readily grasp the foundation by the base plate without slipping, as it provides a more adequate hand hold during assembly of the unit. If desired, the base plate 6 may also be provided with a center portion 19 which may be die cut as indicated at 21 to facilitate removal of such portion and pro vide an opening by means of which the foundation may be hung in a vertical condition.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that there is provided a foundation which is capable of fulfilling the requirements established in the aforesaid patents, but which constitutes an improved arrangement for insuring the maintaining of the cordage in a proper position and facilitating the handling and disposition of the unit.

What is claimed is:

1. A floral piece foundation comprising a generally flat and relatively rigid cardboard base plate, a body of stufiing material overlying said base plate, a perforable wrapper generally enclosing said body of stufiing, a meshwork of cordage Wrapped around said wrapper and said base plate to secure said body of stufiing material and said wrapper on said base plate, and said base plate having a plurality of lateral serrations adjoining one another and extending continuously along generally the full length of the edges thereof, said cordage being engaged between adjacent ones of said serrations to prevent displacement of such cordage relative to said base plate, and the outer end of each of said serrations being generally pointed for deflecting cordage from each of said outer ends to between adjacent ones of said serrations.

2. A floral piece foundation according to claim 1 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,150,550 3/1939 Keller 47-41.12 2,827,217 3/1958 Clement 47-37 XR 3,047,981 8/1962 Shupe et a]. 4741.12

ROBERT E. BAGWILL, Primary Examiner 

